Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'NFIQ'

This thesis deals with the problem of methodology of fingerprint image quality measurement. The first task was to analyze already existing software used for fingerprint quality measurement called NFIQ (NIST Fingerprint Image Quality), evaluate its performance and identify weaknesses. In order to eliminate discovered NFIQ weaknesses, different fingerprint quality estimation methodology was introduced, and its results were compared to other methodologies.

YKL-40 is a secreted protein that is highly up-regulated in malignant glioblastoma (GBM). Its expression is correlated with the invasive nature of GBMs and poor diagnosis of patients (Nigro et al., 2005). Previous research has shown that in astrocytes and GBM cells, YKL-40 expression is regulated by two transcription factors, NFI-X3 and STAT3, which form a complex with each other (Singh et al., 2011). Here, we show that the N-terminal domain of NFI-X3 is sufficient and required for its interaction with STAT3. We also show that the DNA-binding domain of NFI-X3 is required to induce YKL-40 expression. Thus, the interaction of NFI-X3 with STAT3 may play a role in stabilizing the otherwise weak binding of NFI-X3 to the YKL-40 promoter. Collectively, the observations made in this study shed light on the mechanisms by which NFI-X3, in concert with STAT3 regulate YKL-40 expression.

The surface (photosphere) of the Sun is threaded throughout by magnetic fields. Groups of magnetic fields form magnetic features (of a wide range of sizes in flux and area) on the surface where the fields are directed into or out of the Sun. The aim of this thesis is to examine in detail the four key processes, emergence, cancellation, fragmentation and coalescence, which determine the behaviour of small-scale magnetic features, in the Sun's photosphere. I identify features in both Hinode/NFI and SOHO/MDI full-disk to enable these processes to be examined at the currently smallest observable scales and over an entire solar cycle. The emerging event frequency versus flux distribution, for intranetwork emerging regions to active regions, is found to follow a power-law distribution with index -2.50, which spans nearly 7 orders of magnitude in flux (10¹⁶ - 10²³ Mx) and 18 orders of magnitude in frequency. The global rate of flux emergence is found to be 3.9 x 10²⁴ Mx day⁻¹. Since the slope of all emerged fluxes is less than -2 this implies that most of the new flux that is fed into the solar atmosphere is from small-scale emerging events. This single power-law distribution over all emerged fluxes suggest a scale-free dynamo, therefore indicating that in addition to dynamo actions in the tachocline producing sunspots, a turbulent dynamo may act throughout the convection zone. Similarly for cancellations I find a power-law relationship between the frequency of cancellation and the peak flux lost per cancelling event (for events detected in both Hinode/NFI and SOHO/MDI full-disk), with slope -2.10. Again, the process of cancellation appears to be scale free and the slope is less than -2 indicating that numerous small-scale features are cancelling the majority of flux on the Sun. I also estimate the frequency of all surface processes at solar maximum and find, 1.3 x 10⁸, 4.5 x 10⁷, 4.0 x 10⁷ and 3.6 x 10⁶ events per day over the whole surface for emergence, cancellation, fragmentation and coalescence events, respectively. All the surface processes are found to behave in a similar manner over all flux scales. The majority of events for all processes occur in features with flux below 10²º Mx, which highlights the dynamic nature of the magnetic carpet. Using SOHO/MDI full-disk data I investigate the cyclic variation of the 4 key processes throughout cycle 23. It is found that the rate of emerging events, cancellations, fragmentations and coalescences varied in anti-phase with the solar cycle by factors of 3.4, 3.1, 2.4 and 2.2, respectively over the cycle. Not surprisingly, therefore, the number of network features detected throughout the cycle also exhibits an anti-phase variation over the solar cycle by a factor of 1.9. The mean peak flux of tracked small-scale network, fragmenting, coalescing and cancelling features showed in-phase relationships with the solar cycle by factors of 1.4, 1.7, 2.4 and 1.2, respectively. The total flux which is emerged and cancelled by small-scale events, varied in anti-phase with the solar cycle, by factors of 1.9 and 3.2. This is clearly due to the variation in the number of emerging and cancelling events and the fact that the flux of individual emerging events showed no cyclic variation. The results in this thesis show that the large-scale solar cycle plays a complex role in the surface processes features undergo. The fact that the number of ephemeral regions emerging has an anti-phase variation to the solar cycle has a knock-on effect in the number of features which are available to undergo surface processes. Also decaying active regions, during more active periods, contribute more small-scale features, with high flux density, into the network which has an effect on the surface processes. This work has revealed the significant importance of small-scale features in the flux budget through continual emergence and cancellation, plus highlighted how through dynamic surface motions, small-scale features form the fundamental components with which the network is developed.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2009.
Title from electronic title page (viewed Sep. 3, 2009). "... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Curriculum of Genetics and Molecular Biology." Discipline: Genetics and Molecular Biology; Department/School: Medicine.

Dans les transformations du systeme productif, la "gestion des situations de travail" devient une dimension essentielle de l'activite des ingenieurs et requiert par la-meme un elargissement de leur professionnalite a des competences nouvelles. Gerer une situation de travail, c'est en effet gerer tout a la fois des connaissances et des savoirs, des aires et des moyens de cooperation, des qualifications, des carrieres et des emplois, des conditions materielles de travail, des conflits de tous ordres. Dans tous ces domaines, l'ingenieur ne peut plus etre seulement un "prescripteur", il devient aussi celui qui doit creer, a travers un dialogue continu, les conditions de la synergie entre les differents acteurs de la production. Dans une premiere partie, cette these montre, en interrogeant des experiences et des pratiques d'ingenieurs, que cette dimension nouvelle de leur professionnalite est une dimension eminemment critique et met en evidence qu'elle est l'objet d'un deficit de comprehension et de cooperation generateur d'inefficacites productives et de souffrances humaines. La seconde partie etudie la facon dont le systeme de formation des ingenieurs traite cette question et les differences reponses qu'il y apporte : reforme des cursus existants, creation de nouveaux dispositifs, parmi lesquelles les nfi (nouvelles formations d'ingenieurs). La volonte d'elargissement de la professionnalite de l'ingenieur aux realites humaines et sociales de la production apparait omnipresente, des experiences innovantes se developpent, mais les changements reellement introduits restent dans l'ensemble limites et s'ordonnent principalement autour de la logique economique de l'entreprise. L'exigence d'une preparation efficace des futurs ingenieurs a leur responsabilite de gestionnaire des situations de travail n'invite-t-elle pas cependant a faire de la connaissance du travail humain, de sa complexite, de ses multiples dimensions et enjeux, un des axes majeurs de leur formation?
In the transformation of the productive system, the "management of work situations" becomes one of the main measures in the activities of engineers and there fore requires of broadering in their professionnalism in dealing with the new skills. Managing a work situation means that one has at the same time to deal with experience and knowledge, areas and means of cooperation, qualifications, carreers and employment, material working conditions, and all sorts of conflicts. In all these domains, the enginner can no longer be just a "prescriber", he also becomes a person who, through continuous communication, has to create the conditions for synergy between the various actors in production. In the first part, this thesis shows, through a questioning of engineers experience and practice, that this new dimension of their professionnalism is eminently critical and makes it obvious a lack of comprehension and cooperation which generate production inefficience and human suffering. The second part studies the way which the training system of engineers deals with this problem and the various answers that are brought forward : reforms in current cursus, creation of new schemes, among which the nfi (new training of engineers). The will to increase the professionnalism of engineers with regard to the human and social realities appears omnipresent, innovating experiments are beeing developed, but the genuine changes introduced are generally limited and are mainly organized around the economic logic of the firms. Does not the necessity of an efficient preparation of future engineers with management responsabilities in work situations invite us however to make of the knowledge of human work, with his complexity, with its multiples dimensions and stakes, one of the major themes of their training?

Introdução: A fadiga constitui o sintoma mais frequente e incapacitante na esclerose múltipla (EM). Entretanto, sua avaliação é limitada pela carência e falhas psicométricas dos instrumentos disponíveis. O questionário Neurological Fatigue Index for multiple sclerosis (NFI-MS) avalia a fadiga na EM de forma específica, sendo desenvolvido e validado de acordo com os parâmetros psicométricos preconizados, porém, está disponível somente no contexto cultural-idiomático britânico e holandês. Objetivo: adaptar transculturalmente o questionário NFI-MS para a língua portuguesa e cultura brasileira, bem como avaliar suas propriedades psicométricas para avaliação da fadiga em indivíduos com EM. Metodologia: A versão brasileira do NFI-MS (NFI-MS/BR) foi desenvolvida por meio de processo de tradução, retrotradução, revisão de um comitê de especialistas e teste de campo em 30 indivíduos com EM. Na análise psicométrica foram avaliados 210 indivíduos. Os 30 primeiros indivíduos foram submetidos à aplicação do NFI-MS/BR pelos entrevistadores A e B no mesmo dia e reteste após 7 dias, pelo entrevistador A. Os demais 180 indivíduos responderam os seguintes questionários: escala de severidade da fadiga, escala modificada de impacto da fadiga, escala de impacto da EM, escala de sono de Epworth e índice de qualidade de sono de Pittsburgh administrados pelo entrevistador B com reaplicação mensal do NFI-MS/BR durante mais 180 dias pelo entrevistador A. Foram avaliadas as propriedades psicométricas de qualidade dos dados, confiabilidade (consistência interna (coeficiente α de Cronbach), estabilidade teste-reteste (coeficiente de correlação intraclasse (CCI)) e concordância (teste Bland-Altman)), validade de constructo entre o NFI-MS/BR e os outros instrumentos (correlação de Spearman (rho), com hipóteses previamente definidas), sensibilidade, especificidade, responsividade, exame de dimensionalidade e calibração. A análise dos dados foi realizada utilizando os programas SPSS®, MedCalc® e RUMM®. Resultados: A adaptação transcultural gerou a versão NFI-MS/BR que manteve o número de itens, domínios, alocação dos itens, formato e padrões de respostas idêntico à versão original (NFI-MS). Não houve efeito ceiling e floor. O coeficiente α de Cronbach apresentou valores > 0,80 e < 0,90, demonstrando excelente consistência interna. A reprodutibilidade demonstrou excelente concordância na avaliação intra e interavaliador com CCI de 0,95 e 0,94 e diferença de média de -0,83 e 0,86, respectivamente. A validade de constructo (rho) foi confirmada na maioria das correlações. Os escores do NFI-MS/BR, durante as 7 entrevistas, foram similares (P = 0,868). O ponto de corte do NFI-MS/BR foi definido como ≥ 29,5 pontos indicativo de fadiga (86,8% de sensibilidade, 28,9% de 1- especificidade) (P < 0,001). Na análise Rasch, os itens foram ordenados, nenhuma dependência foi demonstrada sendo confirmadas a confiabilidade, qualidade dos dados e unidimensionalidade. O viés foi observado somente para a variável país e para um item, porém com pequena magnitude. Conclusão: O NFI-MS/BR é o primeiro instrumento específico e disponível no Brasil ajustado ao modelo de Rasch. Ele satisfaz os parâmetros clássicos e modernos de avaliação da fadiga sendo clinicamente viável, válido e confiável para avaliar indivíduos Brasileiros com EM.
Background: Fatigue is the most common and disabling symptom in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, its evaluation is limited by the failures and lack of psychometric instruments available. The questionnaire ‘Neurological Fatigue Index for MS (NFI-MS)’ evaluates fatigue in MS specifically, and it was developed and validated in accordance with the recommended psychometric parameters. However, it is available only in British and Dutch cultural and idiomatic versions. Objective: the aim of this study was to cross-culturally adapt the NFI-MS questionnaire for the Portuguese language and Brazilian culture, and to assess its psychometric properties for measuring fatigue in subjects with MS. Methodology: The Brazilian version of the NFI-MS (NFI-MS/BR) was developed through forward-backward translation, expert review and field-testing on 30 MS subjects. For psychometric analysis, 210 MS subjects were assessed: the first 30 subjects were evaluated using the NFI-MS/BR by interviewers A and B on the same day and then retested seven days later by interviewer A. The other 180 MS subjects answered the following questionnaires: NFI-MS/BR, Fatigue Severity Scale, Modified Fatigue Impact Scale, Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale-29 items, Epworth Sleep Scale and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index administered by interviewer B; with reapplication of the NFI-MS/BR monthly over 180 days by interviewer A. Evaluations were conducted on the psychometric properties of data quality; reliability (internal consistency, using Cronbach's α coefficient); test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient - ICC); agreement (Bland-Altman test); construct validity between the NFI-MS/BR and the other instruments (Spearman correlation (rho) with previously defined hypotheses); sensitivity; specificity; responsiveness; ordering threshold; local dependency; and unidimensionality. Data analysis was performed using SPSS®, MedCalc® and RUMM. Results: The cross-cultural adaptation generated a version of NFI-MS/BR that kept the number of items, domains, allocation of items, format and response patterns identical to the original version (NFI-MS). There was no ceiling nor floor effects. The Cronbach's α coefficient values were > 0.80 and <0.90, thus demonstrating excellent internal consistency. The reproducibility showed excellent intra and interobserver agreement, with ICC 0.95 and 0.94, and mean difference of -0.83 and 0.86, respectively. The construct validity (rho) was confirmed by the majority of the correlations. The scores from seven interviews using NFI-MS/BR were similar (P = 0.868). The cut-off point indicating fatigue was defined as ≥ 29.5 (86.8% sensitivity and 28.9% 1-specificity) (P < 0.001). In Rasch analysis, the item thresholds were ordered, no local dependency was demonstrated. The reliability, data quality and unidimensionality were confirmed. Statistical bias was observed only according to country and in one item, but with small magnitude. Conclusion: NFI-MS/BR is the first specific instrument available in Brazil that is adjusted to the Rasch model. It satisfies the modern standards of outcome measurement for fatigue and is clinically feasible, valid and reliable for assessing MS among Brazilians.

Humans have affected the Swedish forests for a long time, mainly through agriculture and forestry. Since the beginning of the 20th century, a lot of changes have taken place in forest policy, which have affected the structures of our forests, such as tree age, size and species distributions. By using information from different types of historical data, we can increase our understanding of the earlier structures of forests and how to manage them in the future. This study investigated changes in annual growth and changes in age, diameter, height and tree species distribution in the forests of Östergötland from year 1927 to the period 1983-2017, using data from the Swedish National Forest Inventory. Six tree species where used, Picea spp, Pinus spp, Quercus robur, Betula spp, Alnus spp and Populus tremula. There was an increase in the proportion of Picea spp, and a decrease in the proportion of Pinus spp since 1927. The proportion of deciduous trees also increased but not as much. Interestingly, the proportion of Betula spp had fallen since 1927, but the now larger proportion of young trees indicate that the proportion of Betula spp is increasing again. Q. robur, P. tremula, Picea spp and Pinus spp also had a larger proportion of younger trees in the more recent period. There was a significantly higher proportion of tall trees during the latter period for all tree species. For growth rate in width, the results varied among tree species. For Betula spp it had decreased and for Q. robur it had increased. For the coniferous trees there was hardly any difference between the periods. Overall, the results show that Östergötland's forests have been influenced by forestry and increased ungulate populations since the first inventory 1927 and that there have been changes in the composition of the forests.
Människan har länge påverkat de svenska skogarna. Sedan 1900-talets början har en hel del förändringar skett inom skogspolitiken, vilket har påverkat bland annat skogarnas ålder- och storleksfördelning, samt trädslagsfördelning. Genom att använda information från olika typer av historiska data kan vi öka vår förståelse om hur skogar såg ut förr och vad som har påverkat dem. Denna studie undersökte skillnader i tillväxt, höjd-och diameterfördelning, samt åldersfördelning i Östergötlands skogar från år 1927 till perioden 1983–2017, med hjälp av data från riksskogstaxeringen. Sex trädslag användes; gran (Picea spp), tall (Pinus spp), ek (Quercus robur), björk (Betula spp), al (Alnus spp) och asp (Populus tremula). En kraftig ökning av andelen gran hade skett sedan 1927, medan andelen tall hade minskat. För lövträden hade det endast skett en liten ökning i andel. Intressant var också att andelen björk hade minskat sedan 1927 och att andelen björkar yngre än 50 år var större den senare perioden, vilket indikerar att björkens andel kan vara på väg att öka igen. Ek, asp, gran och tall hade också en större andel yngre träd under den senare perioden. För alla trädslag fanns det en betydligt mindre andel höga träd år 1927. För årlig tillväxt i bredd varierade resultaten trädslagen emellan. För björk hade årsringsbredden minskat sedan 1927, medan den hade ökat för ek. För barrträden var det knappt någon skillnad mellan perioderna. Resultaten visar att Östergötlands skogar har påverkats mycket av skogsbruket, samt klövviltsbete, sedan 1927 och att det har skett flera strukturella förändringar i skogarnas sammansättning.

Old and coarse trees implement vital functions for humans, animals, and nature. Swedish forests have for a long time been affected by man, which affects the trees’ age and size distribution. The proportion of old-trees is currently low and it is desirable to increase it. Using data on sample trees’ from the Swedish National Forest Inventory, I analysed old-tree distribution in different land-use types and age-distribution, as well as coarse trees in Östergötland under the years 1983-2017. Furthermore, I analysed the sample trees form the year 1927 to compare with the sample trees in period 1983-2017. The defined age of an old-tree 5% older trees in the data was used while the coarse trees were defined by “miljömålets” definition. The tree sample data involved Pinus sylvestris, Picea abies, Quercus robur, Populus tremula, and Alnus glutinosa. Their occurrence in four different land-use types were considered: (i) productive woodland, (ii) arable land and natural pasture, (iii) mountains and other wastelands, and (iv) peatland. The results shows that a higher percentage of old and coarse trees occur in (i) productive woodland during the years 1983-2017. The coarse trees had similar distribution in the different land-use types during the years 1983-2017 and over time. Comparison with 1927 showed that the number of old-trees has decreased while the coarse trees had increased. Thus, the land-use types, except (i), do not constitute a reservoir for old and coarse trees and that the coarse trees individuals overlap with the old trees.
Gamla träd och grova träd utför livsviktiga funktioner för både människa, djur och natur. Sveriges skogar har länge påverkats av människan och det har påverkat trädens ålders- och storleksfördelning. Idag är andelen gamla träd låg i Sverige och det manifesteras åtgärder för att öka andelen äldre och grövre träd i skogarna. Genom att använda riksskogstaxeringens provträdsdata kan vi veta hur gamla och grova träd är fördelade bland marktyper. Denna studie undersökte hur gamla provträd var fördelade bland marktyper och deras åldersfördelning, samt motsvarande för grova träd i Östergötlands län. Dessutom jämfördes perioderna 1983–2017 och 1927. Gamla träd utgjorde per definition 5% av de äldre träden, medan grova träd definierades utifrån miljömålet levande skogar. Provträdsdata var på trädslagen; Pinus sylvestris, Picea abies, Quercus robur, Populus tremula och Alnus glutinosa som fanns inom marktyperna; (i) produktiv skogsmark, (ii) åkermark och naturbete, (iii) berg och vissa andra impediment, och (iv) myr. Resultaten visar att en hög andel gamla liksom grova provträd fanns inom produktiv skogsmark i Östergötlands län under 1983–2017. Bland marktyperna hade de grova provträd liknande odds och en liknande grovleksfördelning för båda perioderna. Dock sedan 1927 har andelen gamla träd minskat, medan andelen grova provträd har ökat. Därmed utgör marktyperna utöver (i) inte en reservoar för gamla som grova träd samt att de grova träden kan spegla de gamla trädens förekomst.

Macrophages are the largest cells in the immune system and they regulate inflammatory signalling and inform cell fate decisions. Many signals, including those mediated by Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNFα) converge on a few key intracellular signalling pathways, including the Nuclear Factor kappa B (NFκB) network. The NFκB signalling pathway plays a vital role in the regulation of many different cellular responses, including the production of TNFα itself, which is required to sustain and propagate immune responses to, for example, infection or tissue damage. In this thesis we report on studies-both experimental and theoretical-of the NFκB signalling pathway in macrophages. Our collaborators stimulated these cells with various doses of Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a molecule that forms the major component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria: in these experiments it serves as a proxy for bacterial infection. The macrophages, studied in vitro, respond as they are believed to do in tissues, by secreting certain signalling molecules called cytokines: the level of secretion proved to depend on the strength of the LPS stimulus. Further, heterogeneity of macrophage signalling was observed in response to a range of LPS doses. Within individual macrophages LPS stimulation results in oscillatory behaviour of NFκB localisation-NFκB shuttles in and out of the nucleus-with an amplitude (peak nuclear concentration) that also depends on the LPS dose. Heterogeneity was also observed in cells that were stimulated with the same dose intensity. This raises an important question about how immune cells coordinate inflammatory activity in the presence of this variability. In this thesis we aim to achieve an understanding of the system through the qualitative analysis of mathematical models of it. This work explores both the parametric sensitivity and bifurcation analyses for two mathematical models of NFκB in macrophages. Parametric sensitivity analysis is used to investigate the role of parameters on the model's output, especially on certain features of the signal-peak amplitudes, inter-peak intervals and areas beneath curves-that are commonly measured in single-cell experiments. Local bifurcation analysis is conducted in order to show all the possible behaviours produced when varying parameters.

In June 2012, the Supreme Court of the United States decided the fate of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in a case called National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius. While initially the decision seemed favorable to supporters of the bill, Chief Justice Roberts’ majority opinion could likely render the bill ineffective in implementation and it creates more Constitutionally confusing precedent than it resolves. Among the questions that now rise to the surface are: will Congress be able to raise the tax to a level where it will become effective? What is now mandatory for states to adopt into their Medicaid programs? Where is the line for the federal government with regards to coercion? What are the definitions of direct and indirect taxes? And, how binding is the Origination Clause of the Constitution?

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) numbers increase significantly in sepsis and are associated with high mortality rates. These myeloid cell precursors promote immunosuppression, especially in the late (post sepsis) stage. However, the mechanisms that underlie MDSC expansion and programming are not completely understood. To investigate these mechanisms, we used a cecal-ligation and puncture (CLP) mouse model of polymicrobial sepsis that progresses from an early/acute proinflammatory phase to a late/chronic immunosuppressive phase. Previous studies in our laboratory showed that microRNA (miR)-21 and miR-181b elevate levels of the transcription factor nuclear factor 1 (NFI-A) that promotes MDSC expansion. We report here that miR-21 and miR-181b regulate NFI-A expression via a post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism by recruiting RNA-binding proteins HuR and Ago1 to stabilize NFI-A mRNA, thus increasing its protein levels. Studies in our laboratory also showed that inflammatory mediator S100A9 accumulates in the nucleus in Gr1+CD11b+ myeloid precursors in the later phases of sepsis and is necessary for their expansion and programming into immunosuppressive MDSCs. We demonstrate here that nuclear S100A9 associates with specific transcription factors that activate miR-21 and miR-181b expressions. In our final manuscript, we uncover another layer of the mechanisms of MDSC expansion and programming. We found that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) Hotairm1 binds to and recruits S100A9 to the nucleus to program Gr1+CD11b+ myeloid precursors into MDSCs in the later phases of sepsis. Together, our results reveal three regulatory layers involving NFI-A, S100A9 and Hotairm1 in the pathway leading to MDSCs development in sepsis and suggest that therapeutically targeting these molecular switches might improve sepsis survival.

Des changements de croissance ont été documentés pour le XXe siècle dans de nombreuses régions en Europe. Cependant une évaluation exhaustive des changements de productivité, à une large échelle géographique, avec une analyse de leur hétérogénéité spatiale et de la diversité interspécifique de la réponse fait encore défaut. L'objectif de cette thèse est d'évaluer les changements récents de la productivité forestière aux échelles nationale, régionale et locale en France, et de rechercher leurs causes environnementales, à partir d'une approche de modélisation statistique de l'accroissement en surface terrière du peuplement (∆G) et d'indicateurs environnementaux. Nous avons utilisé les données de l'inventaire forestier national français pour 8 espèces dont la niche écologique et la distribution diffèrent (Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Quercus petraea, Quercus pubescens, Picea abies, Abies alba, Pinus sylvestris and Pinus halepensis), observées en peuplements purs et réguliers. Nous présentons les facteurs ayant un effet sur la productivité des différentes espèces à l'échelle nationale, ainsi que des cartes de productivité suggérant que l'aire de distribution des espèces n'est pas toujours limitée par les conditions environnementales. Entre 1980 et 2005, nous observons des tendances positives, modales ou non significatives de la productivité pour toutes les espèces à l'exception des deux espèces méditerranéennes dont la productivité a diminué, soulignant ainsi la variabilité interspécifique de ces changements. Nous observons également de fortes variations spatiales des changements de productivité, autant dans leur intensité que dans leur signe, aux échelles régionale et intra-régionale. Ces résultats remettent en question la pertinence d'une évaluation moyenne à large échelle et soulignent le caractère contextuel des estimations. Nous mettons en évidence le rôle du réchauffement climatique récent dans les tendances observées. Ce travail fournit une évaluation plurispécifique et multi-échelle de la réaction de la productivité des espèces arborées à un environnement changeant. Nous avons souligné le caractère spécifique des changements de productivité et leur caractère contextuel, du fait de différences dans l'autécologie des espèces et de variations spatiales des facteurs limitants. Une étude approfondie de l'effet des facteurs environnementaux et de leurs interactions complexes est nécessaire pour la prédiction de la productivité future des espèces
Growth trends have been reported in many regions of Europe over the twentieth century. However, an integrated assessment of productivity changes, including focus on a wide geographical scale, analysis of spatial heterogeneity, and the inter-specific diversity of growth responses is still lacking. The aim of this Ph.D work was to assess recent changes in forest productivity on a national, regional and local scale in France, and to investigate their potential environmental causes, based on statistical modeling approaches of stand basal area increment (BAI), and environmental indicators. We used the French NFI data for 8 species of contrasted ecological niches and distributions (Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Quercus petraea, Quercus pubescens, Picea abies, Abies alba, Pinus sylvestris and Pinus halepensis), taken in pure and even-aged stands. We identified the main factors influencing tree species productivity on a national scale, and produced productivity maps suggesting that species distribution ranges are not always limited by environmental conditions. Between 1980 and 2005, the productivity trends reported were positive, modal or non-significant for all species, except the two Mediterranean species for which productivity decreased, highlighting inter-specific differences in these changes. We observed strong variations of productivity changes, both in intensity and sign, on a regional and intra-regional scale. These results question the relevance of wide-scale average assessments and highlight their context-dependence. The role of recent climatic warming in featuring the BAI trends was highlighted. This work provides an enriched scale- and species-dependent assessment of tree species reaction to a changing environment. We emphasized the species- and context dependence of productivity changes, due to differences in species autecology and spatial variations in the limiting factors. Further focus on the effect of environmental factors and their complex interactions is needed for the prediction of species future productivity

Thesis (M.A.)--State University of New York at Buffalo, 2006.
Title from PDF title page (viewed on Mar. 21, 2007) Available through UMI ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Thesis adviser: Gronostajski, Richard M. Includes bibliographical references.

碩士
慈濟大學
分子生物暨人類遺傳學系碩士班
101
Megakaryocytopoiesis is a multi-stage process regulated by many specific genes, but the underlying mechanisms are still unknown. HEL is a cell line derived from human leukemia; it can go through either erythrocytic or megakaryocytic lineage differentiation upon treatment with different inducers. Our previous studies demonstrated that Bacillus anthracis lethal toxin (LT) could suppress TPA (12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol 13-acetate) induced megakaryocytic differentiation in HEL cells. To identify the novel genes that may regulate megakaryocytic differentiation, microarray analysis was performed. Our data indicated that many genes were up-regulated after TPA treatments and down-regulated upon LT pre-treatments. I choose two genes NFIX and ZFP36L1. We hypothesized that these two genes may play major roles in megakaryocytic differentiation. In this study, we have confirmed that these two genes were up-regulated upon TPA treatments by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). When the expression of these genes were knockdown by short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) in HEL cells, the expression of megakaryocytic specific surface marker (CD41b) and DNA content (polyploidy) were suppressed. We also established an in vitro megakaryocytic differentiation system by using CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which are enriched from human umbilical cord blood. The dynamic expression of these genes during megakaryocytic differentiation was verified in HSCs. We expect that the expression of these 2 genes will elevate as differentiation process proceeds. We demonstrated that NFIX and ZFP36L1 could affect megakaryocytic differentiation through RNA interference experiments.

Cameron Parish, Louisiana, was impacted by one of the most devastating hurricane seasons in U.S. history in 2005. Three weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Hurricane Rita stormed over the Texas-Louisiana border delivering another debilitating blow to the Louisiana coast and creating devastation along the southwestern coastline. In March 2008, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) updated the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for Cameron Parish. These maps rezoned much of Cameron Parish by placing a majority of the parish's land in a flood zone rating of V or higher. FEMA's reluctance to provide federal disaster funds to substantially redevelop and newly construct buildings in areas classified as a flood zone rating of V or higher makes it difficult for Cameron Parish to redevelop as they desperately need federal assistance. This research analyzes Cameron Parish's resources to protect against the hurricane before it hit as well as roles of the federal, state, and local governing bodies on its future development through planning initiatives after the hurricane. Using literature review, state and local media coverage, and interviews with professionals in the field of planning and engineering, this report found that it took a massive hurricane to convey the need for planning in Cameron Parish, and that the flood maps used to provide risk do not communicate risk management as efficiently or accurately as intended.
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Pattern formation during development is guided by tightly controlled gene regulatory networks that lead to reproducible cell fate outcomes. However, stochastic choices are often employed to further diversify cell fates. These two mechanisms are closely interlinked in the mouse olfactory system, where stochastic expression of one of one out of >1,000 olfactory receptor (OR) genes is restricted to anatomical segments, or “zones”, organized along the dorsoventral axis of the olfactory epithelium (OE). Despite recent progress in understanding the processes underlying OR choice, the mechanism by which the dorsoventral position of an olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) dictates its OR repertoire has remained elusive and is the focus of this thesis. To gain insight into a possible mechanism I compared the transcriptomes, chromatin landscape, and nuclear architecture of cells isolated from ventral and dorsal zonal segments of the OE. I determined the developmental window in which cells become restricted in their zonal OR repertoire and found this coincided with both the deposition of heterochromatic histone marks H3K9me3 and H3K79me3 on OR genes and their coalescence into a multi-chromosomal compartment. Comparing heterochromatin levels and OR compartment composition in OSNs from different zones, I determined in each case OR genes with more dorsal indexes have higher levels of H3K9me3/H3K79me3 and thus become silenced, while OR genes with more ventral indexes have no heterochromatin and consequently are excluded from OR compartments. Thus, ORs that are “competent” for activation are relatively more accessible, while still being recruited into the OR compartment where they can interact with the proximally positioned enhancer hub. I found that this mechanism is regulated by Nfi family transcription factors that are expressed in a ventral (high) to dorsal (low) gradient in the OE. Deletion of Nfi A, B and X transforms the heterochromatin and OR compartmentalization in ventral OSNs to a more dorsal state, and shifts their preferred OR repertoire towards more dorsal ORs. This result implicates Nfi proteins as key regulators of zonal OR expression. Finally, I probed the nuclear architecture in single cells to look for the source of stochastic choice within zonal segments. I found high variability in inter-chromosomal OR compartment and enhancer hub composition between individual OSNs that stemmed from the unpredictable and variable positioning of chromosomes in the interphase nucleus. Overall, this thesis provides evidence for a mechanism of zonal OR choice that combines deterministic restrictions imposed by a gradient of Nfi with random inter-chromosomal contacts.

Thesis deals with relationship between histomorphological and molecular-genetic findings of selected salivary gland tumors. Author, as a molecular-cytogeneticist mainly focused on detection of tumor-specific translocations of the salivary gland tumors which can serve as differential diagnostic markers. The thesis is composed as a commented files of authors own publications, and it is divided into four parts. First part deepens the knowledge of salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma. It was proved, that t(6;9)(q22-23;p23-24) resulting in fusion of transcription factors MYB-NFIB, or more rarely t(8;9) resulting in MYBL1-NFIB fusion represent robust differential diagnostic marker of adenoid cystic carcinoma. Further it was proved, that the 1p36 deletion can serve as an unfavorable prognostic indicator of adenoid cystic carcinoma, as the patients with 1p36 deletion had significantly lower survival. Second part summarizes new developments about mammary analogue secretory carcinoma (MASC), which was described by our group as a new salivary tumor entity characterized by translocation t(12;15)(p13;q25) resulting in ETV6-NTRK3 fusion. Another novel observation is a discovery of ETV6-RET fusion in a subset of MASC cases. Further, the first two MASCs of nasal mucosa origin have been described. Third part consists...

The aim of this study was to identify and describe the viability of using cell phones to conduct rapid assessments, pass key health messages and conduct monitoring and evaluation in complex emergencies. The study setting was in a cholera outbreak response situation in Mogadishu, the capital of war torn Somalia. Qantitative, descriptive research was conducted to determine the feasibility. Data collection was done using structured questionnaires, self-response mailed questionnaires as well as follow-up telephone interviews. Three groups of respondents participated in the study. The respondent groups included 383 internally displaced persons (IDPs), 5 water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) specialists and 5 specialists from 5 mobile phone providers in Mogadishu. The study showed that there is good potential for an effective, cost efficient and scalable short message service (SMS) based public health education platform in Somalia. The study has also come up with recommendations on key considerations to ensure viability of the Public health education platform. It is envisaged that the recommended platform shall increase speed, access, spontaneity, coverage and reduced cost per capita, a combination of which form the hallmark of a good emergency health response. Ultimately this effort shall contribute to improved health, reduced suffering and reduced deaths in fragile humanitarian contexts.
Health Studies
M.A. (Public Health)

The aim of this study was to identify and describe the viability of using cell phones to conduct rapid assessments, pass key health messages and conduct monitoring and evaluation in complex emergencies. The study setting was in a cholera outbreak response situation in Mogadishu, the capital of war torn Somalia. Qantitative, descriptive research was conducted to determine the feasibility. Data collection was done using structured questionnaires, self-response mailed questionnaires as well as follow-up telephone interviews. Three groups of respondents participated in the study. The respondent groups included 383 internally displaced persons (IDPs), 5 water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) specialists and 5 specialists from 5 mobile phone providers in Mogadishu. The study showed that there is good potential for an effective, cost efficient and scalable short message service (SMS) based public health education platform in Somalia. The study has also come up with recommendations on key considerations to ensure viability of the Public health education platform. It is envisaged that the recommended platform shall increase speed, access, spontaneity, coverage and reduced cost per capita, a combination of which form the hallmark of a good emergency health response. Ultimately this effort shall contribute to improved health, reduced suffering and reduced deaths in fragile humanitarian contexts.
Health Studies
M. (Public Health)